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FOREIGN]

> A mid-air encounter between China and the United States on Thursday in what the US military called an unprofessional intercept of an American aircraft. They say it was a sniffer plane meant to detect radiation. They claim it was flying in international air space over the East China Sea.

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Reports came from the air crew aboard the US plane, which has been used in the past to detect evidence of possible nuclear tests by North Korea. They use the word, quote, due to maneuvers by the Chinese pilot, as well as the speeds of proximity of both aircraft. A military spokesman says the American aircraft was carrying out a routine mission at the time and operating in line with international law.

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So far Beijing hasn't commented on the incident. China is wary of any US military activity in and around the South China Sea, where it claims a vast swath of disputed territory.